CHANDIGARH: Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala on Wednesday attacked the BJP-JJP combine, saying people are unhappy with it and results of the next month's Baroda assembly bypolls will decide the fate of the coalition government.
The BJP is running the state government in coalition with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), a Breakaway faction of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which is led by the former CM.
“Every section of society, be it farmers, traders and employees, are unhappy with their misrule,” Chautala told reporters here, claiming that the countdown for the BJP-JJP regime will begin once the results are out.
“The results of the bypoll will decide the fate of this government. The result of this seat can also lead to mid-term polls in the state,” the veteran leader suggested.
He also hit out at the Centre''s new farm laws, saying his party will stage a “Kisan Bachao” rally in Kurukshetra on November 20.
Referring to the November 3 bypolls to Sonipat''s Baroda seat, which fell vacant after the demise of Congress MLA Shri Krishan Hooda in April, Chautala said the impact of the Centre''s “anti-farmer” laws and the government''s “failure” on all fronts will be seen on it.
The BJP, which had won 40 seats in the 90-member Haryana Assembly in the October 2019 polls, had fallen short of the majority mark.
It formed the government in the state with the support of former MP Ajay Singh Chautala-led JJP, floated in December 2018 following a feud in the Chautala clan. The JJP won 10 seats in the elections.
Dushyant Chautala, a grandson of Om Prakash Chautala, was made the deputy chief minister.
Replying to a question, Chautala said groupism has already intensified in the JJP with many of their legislators contemplating leaving them.
“I feel after the Baroda bypolls, JJP MLAs will desert them,” he said, adding that some of them will join the BJP.
He said many INLD leaders, who had joined the BJP and the Congress, are contemplating return to the parent party.
Asked if there is any possibility of rapprochement with the JJP, the ex-CM while referring to his son Ajay Chautala and grandson Dushyant Chautala, said, “Had they not deserted us, we (INLD) would have formed the government in Haryana”.
The former CM said had the INLD returned to power, Dushyant Chautala would have automatically become the chief minister.
Chautala said he himself and his son Ajay could not have become the CM had the INLD won.
Both Om Prakash Chautala and Ajay are serving a jail term in connection with a teacher recruitment scam and are currently out on parole.
“(Younger son) Abhay Chautala had refused and definitely from the fourth generation (Devi Lal family), Dushyant would have been the chief minister. But those who could not understand then where they stand to lose or where they stand to gain, how can we make them understand now,” he said.
To another question, he said the JJP had sought votes in the name of farmers but it failed to stand by them.
On the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal issue, the INLD leader said Haryana is seeking its rightful share of waters and the state should get it as the apex court had given verdict in its favour.
Hitting out at the Khattar government, Chautala said, “It has failed on all fronts. The debt of the state has risen to Rs 2 lakh crore and the government has to borrow to pay salaries to its employees.”
The former CM exuded the confidence of winning the bypolls and announced a weeklong tour of the constituency from October 23.
“I will tour every single village and contact each voter there. We have in the past taken several decisions for the welfare of people and we will tell them to once again strengthen our hands,” he said.